Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You would like to reduce your working hours in order to study part time.

Write a letter to your boss. In your letter

• explain why you want to reduce your working hours
• say which hours you would like to work
• describe how your part-time studies would benefit your employer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear ma,

I am writting to inform you that i would like to reduce my working hours from 12hours daily to 6hrly daily on tuesdays, wednesdays, and Fridays as this will enable me have a successful part-time study programme.

I am requesting for a reduction in my working hours in the stated days in order to enable me attend my lectures which are slated for these days and attendance covers over 15% score which i believe will impact my success.This reduction will enable me to have time for lectures, personal studiying and also get some ample time for rest.

I would appreciate if my work time is scheduled from 7:00am to 1:00pm on tuesdays wednesdays and fridays. This will help me get a little rest after work to relieve me of work stress while at same time, attending lectures early.

Am currently enrolled in a part-time programme on marketing which i believe will expose me to more marketing ideas and methods, imploring them into the organization production and sales will increase profits.

Thank you for your constant support and I look forward to receiving a favourable response.

Yours faithfully

Mercy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all requirements of the task. The writer successfully explains the reason for reducing working hours (to attend a part-time study programme), specifies the exact hours requested (7:00am to 1:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays), and describes the employer's benefit (gaining marketing ideas and methods to increase profits). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, there are some minor mechanical issues such as lowercase letters for pronouns and days of the week, but all bullet points from the prompt are fully addressed. Therefore, this performance meets the criteria for Band 6.5, rounded to 6.0 due to the developmental depth of some points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, where each paragraph addresses a distinct aspect of the prompt. Ideas are logically sequenced, moving from the main request to specific scheduling details and finally the benefits for the employer. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'This reduction will enable' and 'At same time', though referencing is occasionally repetitive ('This will help', 'This will enable'). Paragraphing is appropriately utilised with distinct paragraphs for each main point, ensuring the reader can follow the writer's intent easily. This aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to employment and education such as 'part-time study programme', 'lectures', and 'organization production and sales'. There are some word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'writting' (spelling), 'studiying' (spelling), 'imploring them' instead of 'implementing them', and 'get some ample time'. While these errors occur, they do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient to convey the message clearly, fitting the Band 6 profile.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writting to inform you that i would like to reduce my working hours...' and 'Am currently enrolled in a part-time programme on marketing which i believe will expose me to...'. There are several grammatical and punctuation errors, including capitalization issues ('i', 'tuesdays'), missing auxiliary verbs ('Am currently enrolled' instead of 'I am'), and prepositions. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the basic meaning remains clear throughout, placing this performance solidly at Band 6.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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